Improvement in pumping-engines



rl) is the piston in the main cylinder.

UNITED Srnrnsl PATENTVOFFIGE;

ROBERT ALLISON, OF PORT CARBON, PENNSYLVANIA.

IMPROVEMENT IIN PUMPING-ENGINES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 82,475, dated September 29, 1868.

To all 'whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT ALLIsoN, of Port Carbon, in the county of Schuylkill and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new anduseful Improvement in Steam Pumping- Engines; and l do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable those skilled in the art to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specication.

The object of this invention ,is to overcome difficulties which have hitherto been experienced in the use of pumping-engines forraising water from deep mines, and in other situations where itis necessary to raise the water to a. considerable height; and the invention consists in so operating the valve-gear of the engine that the jar produced by concussion, which has heretofore proved sc destructive to pumping-engines,'is avoided. .This is-done by providing a supplementary Y steam-chest, and auxiliary cylinders and pistons, with a liquidregulating cylinder, whereby the piston of the engineis cushioned on steam at each end ofthe cylinder at each stroke, and given an easy and uniform motion.

It also consistsin the construction and arrangement of the pump and valves, as will hereinafter be more fully described.

Figure lis a top or plan view of the whole apparatus. Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section of Fig. l through the line m a', showing the supplementary steam-chest, and auxiliary cylinders and pistons, with the parts connected therewith. Fig.l 3 is a side elevation of the engine, partly in section, showing the method in which the valve is operated in the supplementary steam-chest. Fig. 4 is a horizontal section of Fig. 3 through the line y y. Fig. 5 is a vertical section of Fig. Sthrou gh the line z z.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

A represents the steam-engine cylinder. B is the main steam-chest. C is the main valve. E is the valve-rod. F F represent auxiliary steamcylinders, connected with the steam-chest'B, and G G represent pistons working in those cylinders, which are rigidly attached to the valve-rod. H- represents a supplementary steam-chest attached to the chest B, and in communication with the auxiliary cylinders F F, through the ports i fi. Steam exhausts from this chest -through the opening j. k is a sliding valve in this chest. This valve is operated by a mechanism-represented in Fig. 3, and

consisting of asliding bar, L, on the outside of the steam-cylinder, to the ends of which are` attached, by arms m m, two rods, n a, which ,enter the cylinder through stuffing-boxes, as

seen at o o.

The bar L has its bearings in the flanges oflv the cylinder-heads, through which it slides, as seen at p p. ,Longitudinal motion is given to this bar by the piston of the engine at eachend ofthe stroke as it traverses the cylinder.

q is a cam-slot, l.attached vrigidly to the bar L. R is a bell-crank, whose pivot is at S, one arm of which is connected with the rod t of the valve `k in the supplementary chest H. Upon the other arm there is a roll or wrist, u, which is placed in the cam-slot g.

It will be seen that the longitudinal motion 0f the cam-slot on the sliding barL will impart an oscillating motion to the bell-crank, andy thereby operate the valve k, and open alternately the ports t i leading to the auxiliary cylinders F F. This moves the pistons G, and operates the main valve of the engine.

Vrepresents an oil or water cylinder, through which the valve-rod E passes, as seen in Figs. 2 and 4. works in this cylinder V. This cylinder is lled with water, oil, or other liquid, and the ob- The cock y may be adjusted by hand through the lever z, or by mechanism connected with the governor of the engine, or .by any other suitable device.

The steam which operates the valve through w is a piston on the valve-rod, which the auxiliary cylinders F is discharged into the exhaust-port of the engine through the passage-way a', as seen in Fig. 5.

The operation is as follows: When steam is introduced, the piston of the engine moves until it comes in ,contact with the end of one of the rods n, and imparts motion to the sliding bar L. When the cam of the slot q reaches the roller u on the arm of the bell-crank, the supplementary valve k is moved. This allows steam to enter one of the auxiliary cylinders F, which gives motion to the pistons G and to the main valve.

Should the steam be allowed to act on the pistons G G without any regulating or controlling arrangement the valve would be too suddenly moved, but by the use of the regulating-cylinder V, using therein the liquid as a cushion, complete control is obtained over the movement of the valve. Should the reg-V ulating-cock y be closed, the liquid could not pass. Should the cock be entirely open, the piston would be free to move as fast as the steam would drive it, but by regulating the opening with the cock y, complete control is gained over the valve, and the movement can be regulated to suit the speed of the pump and the amount of work to be done.

The wliole arrangement is such that it commences the movement of the main valve at a point far enough from the end of the stroke of the piston to allow of a gradual shutting off and letting onV of steam, vthereby giving an easy and uniform motion to the piston of the engine and the plunger of the pump, free from any jar or shock in reversing the motion of the end of the'stroke.

I do not coniine myself to the particular method herein set forth for operating the supplementary valve, as it may be necessary to vary it somewhat in the construction of different kinds of pumps.

In connection with the above described steam-cylinder land valve-motion, I construc't a double-acting plunger-pump, arranged substantially as shown in the drawings. This pump consists of the bed-plate D D', which may be made in either one or two sections, so as to render it easy of transportation or removal in case repairs are needed.

E is the plunger, which is attached directly to the piston-rod F' of the engine. G G are the working-barrels, with reversed stuffingboxes 7L h. J' represents the valve-chambers. K represents the valves. Il represents rubber or elastic cushions, placed in the two lower valve-chambers, to prevent the plunger from striking the caps in case the piston should from any cause be driven too far. Il is the inlet, and N is the outlet, of the pump 5 but I do not confine myself toA this particular arrangement for these openings, but may make them at any other convenient point without altering the general construction or arrangement of the pump.

I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. The arrangement of the sliding bar L, cam-slot q, rods n u, and bell-crank R, whereby the supplementary valve k is operated, substantially as shown and described.

2. The valve-chambers J f, valves K', and reversed stuffing-boxes h', arranged substantially as shown and described, for the purposes set forth.

3. The arrangement of the piston w, graduati'ng-cock y, and cylinder V with reference to the rod E, pistons G G, and main valve C, as herein shown and described.

ROBT. ALLISON.

Vitnesse-s:

Ross BULL, WVM. J. MCQUADE. 

